A second chance
by Sabina-Sofia
Summary: It had become a ritual she unwillingly found herself taking part in. Every night he would wander in and sit down, his gaze would find her from the brim of his hat and she would cower for the rest of the evening as she moved around the tables...
1. The stranger

It had become a ritual she unwillingly found herself taking part in. Every night he would wander in and sit down, his gaze would find her from the brim of his hat and she would cower for the rest of the evening as she moved around the tables. And here she was now, standing at the bar and cleaning it with a filthy cloth, watching Tenlisa hand him his usual drink.

She got this job a month back and he had become a daily customer shortly after, he briefly touched his drink before he continued to watch her. She did not make haste to serve him, ignoring his presence whenever she could until her boss would snap at her, waving his meaty finger warningly.

"Anything you say, sir," she would say, wipe her dirty hands on her apron, and look at Tenlisa with a pleading look who would roll her eyes.

"I will do it, sir. She has a bar to finish off," she would say and lower her voice to tell her how childish she was before moving to his table.

Tenlisa spent her childhood in poverty, although talented in her beautiful voice life has sent her down a different path. She was sold to a brothel by her step mother when she was fourteen of age, the innocent girl was consumed by the reality of the world. She would sternly tell Angelica she wanted no pity, that she was content with her life, enjoying being a bar wench with an opportunity to earn an extra coin for her services.

"I do not understand you, love. You have an admirer who is interested in you only. Why would you not talk to him?" Tenlisa said, pouring rum into a mug and shaking Angelica from her dream world.

"Talk to him? Tenlisa, that man is not sane. He comes here every night and does the same thing. Hardly touches his drink," she replied as she stopped wiping the bar to glance at him.

She met eyes with him like she expected and quickly looked away.

"Maybe he is bashful to make the first move," she said, giving her a suggestive look.

"If that man was bashful he would not have the nerve to look at me so openly. Whose side are you on anyway?" she asked, one hand going to her hip.

"I'm already gone," she raised her hands in surrender, then picked up the mug, "Take that to the far end table. To the man with the beard."

Angelica wiped her hands on her dark blue skirt, took the mug, and pushed through the busy tavern to the far end table, ducking to avoid a flying chair.

"Careful you mangy scoundrel!" she heard Tenlisa shout and chuckled as she put the mug down.

"Your drink, sir."

"Thank you," he said and smiled at her charmingly, "I have not seen you here before."

"I am new," she replied and smiled back.

She could feel the man watching her, leaning into his chair lazily, making her shift uncomfortably. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye worriedly, but quickly jerked her eyes away when the man spoke to her again.

"I see... My name's Charlie Roberts. And you are?"

"ANGELICA!" a loud voice roared.

She glanced back at her boss who glared at her with intense hostility.

"No hanging out in here, young lady! Not in my time!" he snapped.

She gathered her skirts hastily and said, "I have to go before my boss throws me out."

She was sent to the kitchen for the rest of the evening, washing the dishes and scrubbing the floor, helping the chubby cook whenever asked. Her boss called her peculiar when she asked to do the work no one would volunteer for, unaware that it was more pleasurable than having to cope with the man's stare.

She was on her knees and looked up to see Tenlisa enter the kitchen with a tray full of dirty dishes.

"Is he gone?" she asked hopefully and dipped the cloth into the soapy water before starting to rub the floor again.

"Depends what you mean by gone. He has paid for one of the rooms upstairs," she said and Angelica froze.

"But he has never done that before! How will I sleep knowing this lunatic is under the same roof as me? To have lots of people around is one thing, but having everyone asleep is another!" she said, stood up and brushed her skirt off angrily.

Tenlisa looked unfazed as she settled down at the table with her dinner.

"You speak as if it is my fault," she said, "and where are you going?"

"I need to take a walk. Do not be alarmed if I decide to sleep elsewhere," she said and stormed out of the back door.

Her face reappeared shortly after, she threw her apron on a chair, then disappeared again. She had the familiar feeling that someone was watching her, turning around with a frown she saw nothing but an empty street behind her, the full moon in the cloudless sky illuminating _the reveling wench_ that she worked in. Continuing to walk away, she did not see a dark figure watching her from one of the rooms upstairs, stood at his window with not lit candles in his room.

"You should not have left... Who will be there to protect you...?" the man whispered with a dark gaze.

* * *

A/N: I really hope you have enjoyed the first chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you, especially since this is my first story.


	2. Near death's door

It was a night like any other, just the way she liked it. The air was humid and hot, nothing stirred except for the wind that blew in uneven gusts and caused the palm tree leaves to rustle and the sand to shuffle up the beach. There, on the outskirts of town, sat Angelica with her knees hugged to her chest, lost in thought.

It was either his professionalism to sneak without being heard or her deep thinking that did not make her acknowledge a presence behind her before it was late to do something and a dagger was pressed to her throat, her hair being held in a vice-like grip.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?" she demanded slowly, her hand reaching for her own dagger that was hidden in her right boot.

"Ah, none of that," her captor hissed and pulled at her hair sharply, giving her a chance to take a glimpse of his face as her head moved backwards, the scar running across his face taking her off guard. "What have we here, eh?"

The devil examined the dagger that he pulled out from her boot and smiled.

"You disappointed me with your discourtesy. I intended to make your death easy... up until now," he roared the last three words, backhanding her with incomparable strength, the sound spreading across the beach.

Darkness rushed to her eyes as Angelica lifted a shaking hand to her left cheek, to her shock realizing that the sand beneath her was already covered in her blood, the slap so hard her skin split open entirely.

"I will have you know that I am no gentleman and find particular pleasure killing women like you. Fear in their eyes but their chin still lifted up high. Your type will never beg for mercy, will never beg for their lives. You will struggle and resist me and I like that," he said and pulled at her hair to bring her face up, forcing his lips on hers.

She felt sullied from his touch, as if she was tied up to the post of shame in the market place, nude.

She pushed him away roughly, staggering up to her feet, swaying slightly.

"Who sent you after me? Who? Speak or I will shoot!" she warned, aiming the pistol she pulled out from his belt at his head.

He looked at her and stepped towards her, making her take a step back.

"We both know you will not pull that trigger," he stated, "You have never killed a man before. You lack bravery for that."

"There is always a first time," she stammered and he smirked.

"Yes, but this isn't it."

He lunged for her, the element of surprise so sudden her finger went down against her own accord.

"You stupid bitch! What have you done?"

Angelica gasped, her fingers slacking and the smoking pistol falling on to the sand.

"I... I did not mean to. I do not understand. What did I do to make you want to... kill me?" She asked, tears building up in her eyes.

"You shot me, goddammit! Now I desire to kill you for me own pleasure. Never mind the money promised for your dead body, I will take not a shilling for my service," he shouted, clutching his wounded leg.

She wasted no time and broke into a run, lifting her skirts up to move faster, hearing him cursing at her in the distance. She barged through the back door of the tavern and startled Bessie who dropped the pan she was washing.

"My girl, what happened to you?" she gasped, but Angelica ran past her and into the tavern, receiving a few curious looks from the customers as she hurried to the staircase, taking two steps at a time. She rushed to room 95 at the far end of the long corridor and opened the door.

"Angelica? What-"

She ran into Tenlisa's arms and no longer tried to hold back her tears, sobbing into her shoulder as she hugged the woman, shocking her.

"Shh. It is alright, you are safe. Shh. Sit down," Tenlisa led her to her bed and sat down with her, rocking her in her arms as Angelica held onto her. "Tell me what happened?"

"He... I was at the beach... he," she mumbled between sobbing, speaking of it made her cry more. "I... cannot."

"It's okay. You can tell me later. Let me see your face..." she said and pulled her away slightly, "My goodness! You will possibly need a stitch for that. We have to clean you before you catch an infection."

* * *

Tenlisa carefully lifted Angelica's hand off the pillow and moved it under the cover, tucking her sleeping form in as best she could. She collected the blood-stained cloths off the bed and the floor and placed them onto the table, tiptoeing to her cabinet and pulling out a clean dress, hers covered in Angelica's blood.

She then creeped out of the door, closing it softly behind her, cursing herself for her own stupidity as she marched up to his door, banging on it loudly.

"Jack, you bastard, open the bloody door before I take it down!" she shouted and banged on the door again.

He cursed and made his way to the door in the darkness, stumbling over his boots in the process and steadying himself by grabbing the door handle.

"Am coming... Tenlisa, what are you doing- What was that for?" he snapped as he held his abused cheek, glaring at her.

"You want to know what was that for, do you?" she shouted and slapped him again. "You got her into trouble, mangy, stupid, putrid, drunkard!"

"Can you calm down and tell me what bloody happened instead of insulting me," he shot back.

"I have warned you that if you do not leave I would turn you down to the authorities," she said angrily and pocked his chest with her finger. "I will do just that. I want you gone by the morning."

He grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his room, pushing her down into a chair and pulling out another chair to sit across from her.

"Tell me what happened before I loose what is left of my patience. I am starting to think you are still upset that I do not pay you visits anymore. Will a night with Captain Jack calm you down?" he finished suggestively and traced the top of her breasts, earning another slap.

"Stop it! Angelica has been attacked and you are the one to blame," she said and Jack stood up sharply, the chair flying to the floor.

"What do you mean attacked? Where is she?" he asked and already made his way to the door, Tenlisa's hand on his chest stopping him.

"She is asleep. If you have at least a little conscience you will be gone by tomorrow. Do not follow me," she said and walked out of the door without another word.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for failing to keep my promise. I had to face the loss of a close friend of the family and I had no desire to write. This chapter was written without me checking it and I did not make it as detailed as I could so I will most likely edit it sometime and add bits to it. I just did not want to delay it any longer and wrote it a fast as I could.

I thought I would make my own version of how Angelica received the scar on her cheek that is hardly visible on On stranger tides, so the gash on her left cheek is actually serious. This story takes place before she turned into a pirate so her character at the beginning won't be so strong physically and emotionally. It has been five months since she left the convent.


End file.
